


Into the flesh out of the blood

by 8fred9



Category: Hannibal (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Blood, Cooking, Dark!Bruce, Established Relationship, Human Hunt, M/M, Murder, Prompt Fic, Will isn't with Hannibal yet, Yes beta, did I say dark!, science husband
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-28
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-02-06 12:53:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1858728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/8fred9/pseuds/8fred9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce receive an invitation for a meal with an old friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Invitation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SlytherinQueen021](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlytherinQueen021/gifts).



The paper was thick, heavy, visibly expensive. Black, a deep rich pure black that certainly had a fancy name that he couldn't even name or was in Latin. The lettering on the black paper was silver, probably the metal melted and used as ink by an expert in the manner necessitate to do so. The letters were nice a little curvy, elegant and showing perfect penmanship. From the look of it, it should have been placed into a frame and cherished as a treasure of good taste. 

A small invitation couldn't have sufficed for the man he remembered and really he shouldn't be so shocked to have received it. After all he had became quite popular with the media, his face plastered in every newspaper almost every day now for more than one reason. Still turning the invitation over to see a familiar signature and an unfamiliar phone number he had to question its inconvenient arrival. His life was much more settled than it had been back then, much more into the public eyes and this could either be good or bad for his future plans. Reaching for his phone, weighing his options, he still entered the unfamiliar phone number into his phone and pressed the call button. He owed his old acquaintance at least the politeness of answering his invitation, if not in person then by phone.

"Doctor Lecter’s office, how may I help you today?"The voice was soft, feminine, and he was cordial as he gave his name and asked if it would possible to talk to his old friend as soon as possible. As it turned out the doctor was on a break and could take his call. He only had to wait a moment before the familiar voice was purring in his ear, cold and professional as ever.

"Am I to assume correctly that you've received my invitation to dinner, Doctor Banner?"As if he would have called for any other reason. Still his good sense was to humor the man in his futile questioning.

"As you must already know or I wouldn't be speaking to you, I did indeed."He was a little displeased with himself at slipping so easy into a polite tone and his posh accent returning as soon as he stated talking to the infuriating man.

"Than can I assume you'll grace my table with your presence at the required date or sooner as it would be a pleasure to see you again old friend."To eat or be eaten he almost asked but bit the inside of his mouth knowing better. Eating a friend was rude, eating someone you had once hunted with was pure sacrilege and they both knew it. Still the allure of a meal cooked by his friend was tempting, it had been quite sometime since his pallet had been grace with such heavenly food.

"Is this a subtle way of asking if I would like to join the hunt, old friend?"There was a pause and he simply knew the other man was smiling at the other end of the line.

"Am I so transparent to you? It has been sometime since I've shared my hunting time with another soul, but I cannot say the idea is not to consider."He hummed softly; it would be nice to get out of the city for a little sport.

"Lodging?"

"My home has quite a nice guest room with a private bathroom of course."Of course only an animal wouldn't have a private bathroom for his guest. Only one more thing to ask then.

"Might I be so rude as to ask for a plus one for the invitation you've issued to me?"This time the silence was precious to him as he knew it was one of astonishment. People like them didn't have a plus one, not for the kind of event they were planning.

"May I inquire if you intend to bring your own meat?"Fair question and he would have considered it if only for a certain blond who had spent some time on ice, but not for now.

"I trust your selection of meat; this is more of a personal necessity."

"A friend I should meet than?"The smile that curled his lips was nothing but feral already full of delight at knowing just how shocked his friend was about to be.

"My husband."The sharp intake of breath and the long silence were pure joy to hear. It was a perfectly timed moment and his only regret was to not have been able to see his friend’s expression at the news. But well, showing with a plus one without notice was so rude. He waited a beat or two before going on."You can understand my desire to introduce him to one of my dear old friends from our shared medical training."

"Of course, I simply cannot remember hearing of this before today."Trying the regain the upper hand in this conversation his friend was fishing for information, but for that specific revelation he did want to see the expression on the man’s face.

"It was a quiet affair, with our lives being so public we both agreed to a small wedding with only our friends and to keep it quiet for security reasons, as you must understand?"He gave just enough information for his friend to reduce the list to a few possible names, but still not enough for him to guess right.

"I can understand indeed and it would be a pleasure to have you both for company for as long as you wish to stay in my humble home."

"I'll look this over with him and will call you again with the date of our arrival. It will be a pleasure to see to again Hannibal."

"And I you, Bruce. I look forward to hearing from you and will have a room prepared for the both of you."Not needing further farewell they both hanged up. This would be ever so interesting.

Tapping the phone to his lips lost in his thoughts, he could only guess how his old friend would react to his better half. It would be very interesting to see those two very different personalities clash together. And clash they would, he was in for quite a show indeed. Lost in his own mind it took him a little while to place the sound that had been knocking at the back of his mind with its repetition and smiled once he recognized the loved voice.

"Brucy sweety lovy pooky itsy bitsy tinny!"His better half must have been searching for him for more than five minutes if he was now reduce to using terms he knew his husband hated.

"In here dear!"Tony came into view a smile on his face but stopped at the door leaning against its frame and frowning slightly. His husband really was a sight for sore eyes with his whiskey brown eyes, lean muscular body and those ridiculous, but oh so fitting t-shirt he always wore."What is it?"

"You got that weird accent you get when you talk about medical school or old friends, what did you do?"If anyone ever doubted or underestimated the genius in this man they would pay for it dearly. Motioning the smaller man over, he really was too far away for his taste, he pulled him on his lap. Tony settled against him happily, but still had a knowing smile on his face. Trying to change the subject with sex wouldn't work this time. So he gave his partner the invitation and waited a moment before speaking again.

"I received it this morning and called him to confirm my presence. You are of course also invited, love."Tony was looking at him with laughter in his eyes, a mischievous smile on his face. Before he could ask about it, Tony leaned over and kissed him.

"I love it when you turn all proper and posh; it's cute."He glared at him but there really wasn't any heat behind the look as his husband chuckled softly."I'll clear my schedule with Pepper and I'll have my pilot prepare the plane. When did you want to leave?"

"In four days, just enough notice to be proper and polite."His lover chuckled softly.

"So cute!"Before he could say anything Tony was off his lap with one last kiss and already on the phone as he skipped out of the room.

Looking at him go he shook his head, this trip would either be a compete disaster or the most interesting meeting he would ever be witness to. Still he would have to pack soon and moved to follow his husband’s path, thinking about which knife to bring and if it would be necessary to bring anything else. But surely his old friend would have all the needed material for the hunt to come, only his knives would be fine.


	2. Introduction

He looked at his friend’s humble home and sighed in despair. He had known from the moment a car had pulled out at the airport awaiting them with one of those movie worthy pristine pieces of cardboard with their name on it, that the aforementioned ‘humble home’ would be anything but humble. His husband for his part had found the whole chauffeur incident quite delightful and had sent away the one he had requested with a cheeky little smile.

Now that they stood in front of the mansion, there really was no other word for the imposing building standing before them; the cheeky smile on his husband’s face only grew wider. The mansion was all shadows and old looking architecture; it seemed like a place of mystery standing in the middle of a nouveau riche part of town. Looking at it in that perspective, he had to admit the building was indeed quite similar to his friend. It was no wonder that from all the mansions he could see around them, his friend had chosen the one that seemed the most out of place, while perfectly blending with the rest of the street mansions. The chauffeur gave them their bags with a polite smile that turned a little more genuine once his partner gave the younger man a generous tip. As the car drove away, he looked to his husband. Tony was all but jumping with excitement looking around with glee that he simply could not understand.

“Why so joyful my love? “He asked as they started to make their way up the stairs. His lover for his part kissed his cheek and beamed even more, if that was even possible.

“Because mister poshy voice, it’s the very first time I get to meet a friend of yours.” Thinking about it, he had to give his husband this one. In all the years they had known each other, he had meet all of Tony’s friends, but never the reverse. It wasn’t that he didn’t have any; it was simply that they were few and rarely lived close to him. A real predator like him would never allow another predator to stay to long in the same territory, it simply wasn’t done. Inviting another predator for a little hunt was all good and fun, but over time two hunters would unavoidably step on each other toes if they hunted the same ground. Not knowing how to explain all this to his partner he simply hummed and knocked on the door.

As soon as the door opened he had a little pang of nostalgia and maybe a little pinch of envy. HannibalLecteur hadn’t change much since they last saw each other. Age had barely touched him if not only at the corner of his piercing brown almost red eyes. If anything the little touch of wrinkles only made him look more elegant. The navy blue suit was fitted perfectly on the tall and lean body and the elegance of it all was completed with perfectly groomed hair. Inspection finished, he looked on with amusement as his friend stayed quiet, all his attention on his husband.

Apparently Doctor Lecter had guessed wrong about the identity of his partner and was now trying as hard as he could to remember all he knew about Anthony Stark. The information his brain supplied him must have been shocking as his face closed even more clearly, not understanding the pairing. Of course being too polite to ask outright, the man’s face slipped into an easy, entirely fake smile and he extended his hand in greeting.

“Hannibal Lecter, it is a pleasure to meet you Mister Stark.” Even his polite tone was pleasantly fake. Tony of course noticed and his own fake smile slipped into place before he could say anything. This would either be a disaster or the beginning of a wonderful, if not slightly disturbing, friendship.

“Please call me Tony my father was Mister Stark.” A hand shake was exchanged and Hannibal moved to let them in. The two men exchange a polite nod in greeting, it was enough for now. A sigh escaped him when he heard the whistle of approval from his husband at the sight of the perfectly pristine decoration present in the house. “Nice digs dude.”

He saw the corner of his friend eye twitch and repressed his laughter hanging out their coats. The weather in New York had been quite pleasant, but Baltimore already had snow. His husband was trying to have the other doctor lash out at him, it was what the genius did best after all. Hannibal recovered fast, but from the light in his husband’seyes, he knew the twitch had been seen. He could have stopped it all right at this moment, asked his partner not toantagonize such a dangerous man, but really it was quite amusing to watch. So he took his place at his lover’s side and they both followed the doctor as he walked them around the mansion and to their room.

“Cozy looking…with just the right touch of uptightness.”The room was indeed looking a little uptight, with everything in order, no dust anywhere and the dark blue coloring present in all the furniture. He looked over to his friend and saw that the twitch was back. Before it couldturn into something much more ugly, he turned to hishusband, pushing him toward the bed with a firm hand on his back.

“How about a nap my love? It might do you some good after the flight we had and the crisis we had to deal with before we left.” The crisis had been a mad man trying to blow up the city and he knew his lover hadn’t slept in thepast two days at least. Tony peeked at him under his eyelashes and smiled, stifling a yawn.

“Well I don’t have anything to occupy me here, so why not.” Peeking at Hannibal over his shoulder the genius gave the other doctor a little wink and kissed him on the cheek. “It’ll also give you two sometime to talk without having me eavesdropping right?”

“Thank you dear.” No need to refute his husband as it was indeed the intent he had had in mind when he had proposed the nap. It would also be good for his lover to have a regular sleep cycle while they were away, if only to get rid of those dark circles under his eyes. He walked out of the room and Hannibal followed close behind him, making no comment.

He still didn’t say anything as they sat in front of the fire and his friend handed him a glass of red wine. There was a very telling little frown at the corner of the other doctor’smouth as his gaze was lost into the flames. Giving the other man sometime to come down from his shock, he sipped at his wine quietly until he was done with the first glass and Hannibal was refilling it.

“Who did you think I had tied myself too exactly?” He truly was curious to know who the other man had been expected to show on his doorstep. Hannibal finally took of a sip of his wine and turned his attention on his friend. The other man studied his face, searching for the reason why he had chosen a man such as Anthony Stark. It was a question that had baffled more than one person, but to him it was only the most natural of all decisions. Had been from the moment he had meet the playboy.

“I had assumed that in the best of case it would be one of the members of SHIELD organization, at worst I had assumed you would choose your current leader.” The snort of amusement that escaped him was quite undignified, but he couldn’t be helped.

“Oh dear! Steve Rogers could never hope to hold my interest in such a way. He is a very old fashion man, with too many morals for me to find attractive…in any way possible.”

“I though the old fashion values would be a good fit for your personality. I don’t see how a, how did he put it, a playboy, philanthropist, genius, would be a better fit.” In this regard it was true; anyone who knew his husband by reputation only could not understand their relationship. They simply seemed like two pieces of a different puzzle that should never be put together. But anyone who knew the genius personally had never questioned their pairing and that was why only those people knew of the wedding.

“Tony’s personality fits me much better than any old fashion American icon.” He could see doubts in the other man eyes, but his friend nodded even if he still wasn’tconvinced of the healthiness of his choice. “How about you?”

“How do you mean?” Hannibal knew exactly what he was asking, but was avoiding the question, for what purpose he had no idea. So he waited, not wanting to play games. The silence stretched between them until his friends gaze found him and he inclined his head in apology. They knew each other to well to be playing games with one another. “There is someone that as caught my attention, but I am still unsure how to proceed around his…uniqueness.”

“Uniqueness? Sounds rather intriguing. ”

“He’s what you would call an empath, able to dive into the mind of the most dangerous men and see their darkestsecrets. Being able to understand the mind of a killer is a wonderful gift.”

“Or a terrible curse depending on your moral values. What are his?”

“He works for the FBI as a consultant.” From his friend’sface this was a very annoying bit of information.

“A curse than?”

“Unless his mind could be push in the other direction, than the curse would transform into a blessing.” Something in the other man’s tone told him that this man’s mind was already being pushed in the direction his friend wished it to go. As it was the first time he was seeing Hannibal so interested in another person, one he didn’t see as just another hunter, but as a potential partner, it was quite intriguing.

“If pushed correctly what would this gifted man become?” That really was the question. What would a man able to dive into the mind of killers and psychopath become if he was to embrace the darkest part of himself that allowed such a gift?

“Beautiful.” It could indeed turn into a beautiful creature or it could be the ruin of his friend. When he pointed out the flaw, Hannibal shrugged elegantly. “I have lived long enough in solitude; I think being paired has made you forget the loneliness that comes with our nature.”

“I remember my friend, I truly do.” He had himself placed a lot on the line to be with his husband. Now that he had the man at his side, the ring on his finger and could awake every morning next to the genius it was all worth it, but there had been moments of doubts during his courtship. “But sometimes the price to pay is worth the reward it gives.”

The silence stretched between them both men lost in their own though. Two hunters basking in the company of one another without the need for masks and false smiles. The flames dance before their eyes, the light of the fire licking their face and casting shadows making them look unreal. If anyone had dared walk-in on them in this instant they would have seen two creature of nightmare at rest, but never harmless. In the silence, they heard footstep coming down and before either of them could move or place theirhuman mask back on, Tony peeked his head inside the room. His husband looked from one to the other, and there was no shock, no terror, just a smile full of love as he meettheir gazes.

“I’m done! I’ll go take a walk before it starts to snow.” Just like that the genius was gone and the front door opened and closed. Turning to Hannibal, he saw surprise anddelight in the doctor’s eyes.

“Fascinating, truly fascinating.”

“Yes, he is quite unique in…” He tilted his head to the side and a grimace countered his face as he took in the words his lover had just spoken. “Oh dear, did he by any chance say he was done?”

“He did indeed. What…?” Before his friend could finish his sentence, he was on his feet and walking up the stairs to their room. The moment he opened the door, he saw the tools on the floor and the remains of what appears to be three very different clocks. Hannibal stood next to him made a sound of displeasure at the chaos now reigning in his once pristine room. He knew better than to ask if any of the clocks had sentimental value, if they had they would not have been displayed. Looking around slowly, his eyes fell on what his husband had been working on, there mounted over the bed.

Out of the three clocks the genius had built one elegant giant three quadrant clock, one for the seconds, one for the minutes and one for the hours. Each one with adifferent colored needle moving at different paces and all looking quite…beautiful. It shouldn’t have worked, as the three clocks were very different from each other, but as a whole it was a piece of art. It made the room look warmer, more inviting, it was unique and if he hadn’t already know it hadn’t been there before, he would have thought it belong there.

He looked to the other man and noticed the blank stare that was slowly giving place to a small smile. Hannibal looked at him with something akin to understanding as his gaze fell back on the clock on his wall once more. “Truly fascinating indeed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will in the next chapter...poor baby


	3. Illusion

Remorse, remorse about a decision he had made. A decision that at the time had sounded logical and sure. A decision that was supposed to bring him peace and that as time passed only brought on more and more remorse and as his feelings grew, shame. His entire mind had asked for revenge, for the man that had destroyed his reputation to be placed in the same cage he had been imprisoned in. It was simple really, accept his darkest part, allow himself to become what he had refused to see inhimself for so long and set the trap over his captivated prey.

But one couldn’t just assume that Doctor Lecter would willingly become prey. The predator he was trying to catch was used to the ways of manipulation. His prey would know sooner or later that he was being led toward his demise. That what he wanted more than anything, a companion, an equal, was all lies and subterfuge. Then again was it? He had had time and time again the opportunity to give the older man to the authorities. To shackle him like he had done to the younger man who the good doctor had called his friend. But every time the occasion presented itself, serve on a golden platter; with much evidence to tie a man down a thousand times over, he had failed to do so. His prey was changing form, his mind refusing to see Lecter as a prey anymore and starting to show him a new possibility. So far he had fought to keep the older man as prey, to see him as something to stop, to destroy, to lock away and throw the key. So why?Why was it that every time his hands stopped? His mind bucked refusing to move, refusing to accept his choice. His entire body and mind were working against him, waiting for him to see the true, to see that Hannibal Lecter wasn't prey, but a…

“Are you lost?” Snapped out of his head by a soft voice and a hand on his arm, he whipped around and stood frozen by the vision before him. Normally when he made eye contact with another human, not a criminal or a psychopath, just a normal boring human, his mind supplied him with their emotion. Most of the time he saw pity, disdain and fear and on some rare occasions perverse curiosity. People knew at first glance he wasn’t normal, that something deep inside him was wrong, twisted. They stayed away, didn’t touch him or try to start a conversation with him. It was their survival instinct screaming at them to run away as far as they could from the creature of the dark hidden in his heart. Yet here was this weird little man looking him straight in the eyes, with only concern as his main emotion, touching him like he was a normal human being. “Oh shit you’re frozen!”

Still unable to speak, he looked on as the smaller, older man; with deep whiskey brown eyes, took his scarf off and wrapped it around his neck. The residual warmth of theother man seeped through his indeed frozen skin, warming him in the most amazing of ways. Kindness from stranger, something that unfortunately had rarely happened in his life, was being offered by this man and he had no words to share. Speechless, he looked on as the man stepped back with a nod of approval and tilted his head to the side still waiting for an answer. When his mind finally supplied him with words, the ones that escaped him had him flushed in embarrassment the moment they escaped his chapped lips.

“You look like Winston.”

The worst of the whole situation was the truth of the statement. This small man with his whiskey brown eyes, salt and pepper hair and easy smile did remind him of his favorite stray. This stranger’s whole demeanor was easy and open, calm and patient, welcoming and trusting. Since the rest of the words that would have escaped him were about the possibility of adopting this man as one of his stays, he keep his mouth resolutely shut and waited for the other man to storm of deeming him crazy.

“Neat! Who’s Winston?” Why wasn’t this man walking away and now looking at him with an open smile? He should be afraid, maybe even running for his life. What was wrong with that man? Still…

“My dog.” The man eyes bulged a little in surprise and tohis own surprise the man proceeded to giggle in amusement, no judgment apparent in his body language. When the smaller man’s giggles had died away he looked him over from head to toe and smiled the most reassuring smile he had ever seen on a stranger’s face before. “Wouldn’t someone usually be insulted at being compared to a canine?”

“Maybe… is Winston cute?” Not the question he had been expected, so he nodded slowly because it was the truth and he had no word to explain this whole conversation.“All good then!”

The man seemed to think about it some more and then nodded again, showing he definitely approved being compared to a dog, as long as said dog was cute. “But seriously! Are you lost? Because you were just standing there looking lost.”

“No, not lost, just lost in though.” The disappointment in the other man was surprising.

“Damn, no luck then!”

“I…what?” This man was getting more and more confusing. His emotions were either too strong or impossible to read as they seemed to jump around as fast as the smaller man could talk. It was in a sense extremely refreshing as the only way he could read this man was if he truly concentrated on him, but the fact that he wouldn’t stop moving, his hands flying around as he talked, made it impossible to concentrate on anything but his words. This might be what it felt like to have a normal conversation with another human being without seeing all they wished to be hidden.

“I’m lost! Got caught in my own head, as usual, walked around, took too many turns and BOOM lost. I tried every street but this posh neighborhoods all look the same to me! Well the Doc’s house is different, the vibe around it and all, but I haven’t seen it and now it’s just getting frustrating and…”

“Doc?” The flow of words was making his head spin, but his mind had latched on to this particular word for a very good reason. The smaller man stopped rambling and stared at him, his gaze never leaving him.

“Doctor Lecter's house.” His entire mind froze, not accepting the possibility of this man dying at the hands of the doctor. He could accept the death of the rude that deserved such a treatment, but this man was not to be a prey. His mind already saw this small man as a stray and strays were to be protected. The man for his part had gone back to rambling and the meaning of the words breached the panic that had taken over his mind. “…staying over for a couple of days as his guests and…”

“Your one of Doctor Lecter's guest?” Lecter never had guests; well, diner guest yes some times, but never gueststhat stayed much more than a night in his home. The beast loved its privacy more than anything, after all. The smaller man nodded, clearly happy to have run into someone who knew the doctor. “You alone?”

“Nope, me and my hubby.” He couldn’t understand it, it didn’t make sense. What did a man so pure and innocent be doing in the house of a monster? And as a guest no less? If not as a future meal then he had no idea why the good doctor would allow not one but two innocents in his home. “Soooo you know him?”

“Yes, I…I actually was on my way to visit him and got distracted by my own thoughts.” All true - he had been planning to visit the good doctor but at the sight of the house, his feet had turned around seeking answers before facing with the older man again. He could simply guide this small man toward the right direction to find his way back, but something in him asked that he made sure that the stray would be safe. “Why not head there together?”

“Thank God! Brucy would have had a search party out here if I didn’t come back…or worse!” He couldn’t think of what a man called Brucy could do that would be worse than a search party, but nodded in agreement.

To his surprise, this small man really was full of it; the other looped his arm with his and followed easily in his steps. It was weird, weird not feeling the need to pull away from the touch, not to feel the disgust at having a stranger touch him. They walked in synch, the smaller man talking half to himself, half to him, his babbling calming to his ears used to only hearing about murder. They came into view of the doctor’s house and were climbing the stairs when something rather impolite occurred to him.

“Your name!” The smaller man looked at him with raised eyebrows and once again started giggling like this whole situation was hilarious to him. As the other man started turning to handle on the door, shaking his head in amusement, he turned and tilted his head to the side, seeming unsure if he was serious.

“Seriously? Hu! I just thought you’d recognized me and rolled with it.” They stepped inside the house, shaking their boots and taking off their coats. He shook his head,clearly not understanding what the other man was talking about. Should he have recognized him? Was he famous? “Well then I’m…”

“Tony! Dear, is that you?” A voice soon followed by the appearance of another small man caught his attention and Will turned his head to better see who was coming. 

His entire body froze in shock, his mind screaming at him to run, run as fast and as far as he possibly could. There was no man standing before him, this wasn’t a man. This could never pass for a man. In front of him stood a great green beast snarling and roaring at him in anger. It wanted to kill him…no not kill him…smash him. Smash him into the ground, watching as his entire body exploded as it hit the ground again and again. It was terrifying, his mind blank in terror as the beast’s gaze zeroed in on him, seeing him as puny and fragile. It wanted to destroy him, to tear him into pieces. The giant beast took one step toward him and…disappeared.

“Hey love, just got a little lost!” As soon as his stray was in the beast’s arms, the beast vanished to leave behind a small man, a man looking like a scientist who only had eyes for his lover. Feeling like he could move again he finished removing his coat and watched the two men. His companion was kissed with great love by the other man. Everything about their interaction showed how much they cared for each other. The smaller man he had met outside turned with a smile. “Sorry about that; I’m Tony Stark, pleased to meet you…again!”

“Graham. Will Graham, I’m…” The name finally connected to lost information in his vast psyche and his eyes bulged slightly. “You’re Iron Man!”

Tony actually smiled sheepishly at being recognized, his entire face turning a little red at the awe in his voice. That simple information was too much for his brain to even start to process. What was Iron Man, a known hero, doing in a cannibal's home? Why? How did they even know each other? Unless…

His gaze landed on the other man, the one that had never stopped looking and touching Tony. The one with the truly impressive wedding ring, that he could now see the twin of on Tony’s finger. The size of the rings alone showed a very strong streak of possessiveness, anyone seeing those would understand that the small man was taken. He himself hadn’t seen it as Tony had been wearing gloves, but now in full view it showed something about the personality of his husband that he found worrying. The other man finally spoke, his voice soft, even and with a touch of politeness that was a little excessive and…familiar.

“Tony dear, would you go and inform Hannibal that he has a guest? He’s in the kitchen preparing our meal for the evening.” Tony answered with a kiss and a nod, skipping down the corridor with a mischievous smile on his lips. He wanted to warn his stray not to antagonize the cannibal, but piercing eyes kept him where he was.

The moment Tony wasn’t touching him, the man turned cold. His entire body sang for blood. This was a different beast than before. This one was patient, calculating, and ready to spend hours opening a body just for the curiosity of seeing how long it would last under his blade. He could almost hear a soft music, contradictor to whatever dark thoughts this man was entertaining. He was much more dangerous than the first beast, much thirstier for blood. The green beast had wanted destruction, a quick and painful death. This new beast, this man size beast, wanted a slow agonizing torture for the simple pleasure of having its victims scream in despair.

He wanted to scream, to beg for the return of the green beast, anything but to be faced with the monster standing before him…a monster not unlike…Hannibal. A slow pleased smile curled the man lips as he turned back knowing he would follow. Just before disappearing into the shadows dancing in the corridor the man turned and …his face wasn’t human anymore.

“Please come in Mister Graham.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Will why are you so damn hard to write!!!!!!!!! Also run.


	4. Nutrition

"Can I help you with anything?"

He was quite enjoying the look of pure horror on the younger man face as his husband moved around the young Graham, who had been trying to shield him against the two beasts, and to Hannibal's side. He could see just how much the brunet wished to pull the genius behind him once more and maybe even drag him out of the house. But as oblivious as he usually wanted people to believe him to be, Tony walked to the doctor’s - now chef - side waiting for an answer. His old friend peeked at him through his eyelashes’ asking silently for permission. Giving a small nod, Bruce turned to the smaller man, giving his silent blessing for his old friend to use his husband as he wished.

"How are you with a knife then?" It was truly delightful to see Graham’s face go paler and paler as Lecter presented a knife to his husband with a smile of pure delight. Bruce chanced a peek to see the genius being pushed to Hannibal's other side, as far away from the young Graham and shown what vegetable needed the attention of his knife. His old friend studied the smaller man for a while,modifying his cutting technique by adjusting his wrist with a firm grasp. The brunet seemed just about to faint at the sight of the doctor hand's on the smaller man. Once hishusband’s technique was to the doctor’s liking, Hannibal stepped back with a little sound of approval. "Quite good Mr. Stark, I'll have to use you in my kitchen more often...any part of you really."

His husband made no comment on the phrasing, but Bruce didn't miss the way the young Graham’s hand reached to his side looking for a gun that wasn't there. Reaching for the bottle of wine on the counter, Bruce poured a generous glass, ignoring the disapproval on his old friend’s face and handed it to the younger man to occupy his hand. Pouring himself a glass, he moved to the brunet’s side with a reassuring smile. The smile didn'tseem to work, as the younger man seemed ill at ease as he moved from one foot to the other. If he didn't know better he would have thought the young one was thinking of running away from this house at any moment, but then his gaze kept going back to his husband. Such a valiant heart, knowing he should fear for his life, but courageousenough to stay for a man he thought was in danger. As if he would ever hurt his husband or let his old friend make a move against the smaller man.

"So I've heard you work with the FBI Mr. Graham." The younger man eyes found his for an instant then seemed to fixate on a point just over his shoulder...fascinating indeed.

"Only as a consultant, I usually teach." Not much of a speaker then. But then his old friend’s fascination was with his brain and possible dark nature, not his conversation. He continued to ask benign questions after one another, simply keeping the younger man talking as the cooking progressed behind them. Hannibal was lost in his art, giving brief orders to his husband when he needed something cut or wash, his accent getting thicker as he went on.

Hannibal was working on a piece of meat when he spoke in another language all together, catching his and young Graham’s attention. If he wasn't mistaken the doctor had just spoken in Japanese and as he had been expecting from his better half, his husband answered in the same language, easily rolling with it. His old friend looked up, his raised eyebrows the only sign of surprise on his face and he spoke again, clearly asking a question. Tony shrugged like it was nothing and answered back easily.

"Your Japanese is delightful Anthony, a true pleasure to hear."

"Thanks, and Tony please. I have a branch of Stark industry in Japan and love to make my own deals, learning Japanese seemed the quickest way to go about my business. How about you yourself?"

"My aunt was Japanese and taught me her birth tongue as she raised me." His old friend looked to the young man before going on with a mischievous little pull to his lips. "She was also the one who taught me most of my values."

"Charming woman I assume." Hannibal hummed in agreement and seemed to want to change the subject as he focused his attention back on the food he was preparing.

"Et le francais?" His old friend’s voice was smooth as he spoke French, his accent a lot less thick now. His husband for his part smiled at his lover, knowing he had understood as he often spoke to him in French, knowing how much his partner loved hearing his better half speak other language in bed.

"Le language the l'amour, bien sure!" Deciding to have a bit of fun, his husband switched to Russian, speaking with the same accent as Romanov as she was the one to teach him the language and had a pleased smile on his face as Hannibal easily switched to Russian to answer. Leaving the two men to have their fun comparing just how manylanguages they shared, he pushed the younger man toward the main table. Sitting down he waited until the younger man was seated, across from him instead or beside him of course and took a slow sip of wine.

"You are uncomfortable in my presence dear." Not a question, a question would allow him to deny the truth. The younger man’s attention snapped to him, his gaze firmly meeting his, looking at him. Him without his mask, without any walls to hide behind, right into the eyes of the beast and not the green one at that.

"I'm uncomfortable in both of our presence." The young Graham wasn't including Hannibal in his statement and he gave the brunet a nod showing him he understood his meaning. "But usually I'm uncomfortable in any kind of people presence."

"Side effect of your empathy I believe."

"I see patient confidentiality isn't something the good doctor holds in high regards." Bruce hummed softly, a little smile pulling at his lips.

"He would, if you were his patient, that is." The young Graham seemed unpleased at the comment. But from what he knew it was an agreement that both men had made with each other. "Then again if not as a patient, how do you see your relationship with, as you put it, the good doctor?"

He watched in amusement as the brunet seemed to struggle with the answer opening and closing his mouth. He seemed to be about to give an answer when he froze, his eyes growing wide. Paying attention to what was happening in the kitchen, even Bruce was frozen into shock.

Lithuanian. This was definitely Lithuanian. There was no accent anymore in his old friend’s voice, the other doctor was speaking in his mother tongue fluently. Bruce and the younger man turned to look in the kitchen to see Hannibal leaning against the counter waiting to see if Tony would follow his lead in this too. He had only heard his old friend speak his mother tongue once before. It had been when they had both been doing their residency, a young blond girl had been admitted with a severe leg injury yelling and crying in a language no one had been able to understand. No one until Hannibal had appeared soothing the young girl fears speaking in a soft voice. The young girl hadn't made it through the night. It had been the last time he had ever heard the other man speak his mother tongue and that week four men had died, all missing organs and the meat on their cheeks. Hearing it again froze him in anticipation for his old friend’s reaction, but from the look on the younger man face his reaction was one of pure surprise. He didn't know just how much the brunet knew about the doctor past, but he apparently knew enough to recognize Lithuanian.

His husband stopped his cutting for a moment, his face scrunched up in concentration and slowly answered in fluent Lithuanian. This was a surprise to him; he knew his better half knew many language, some of which very few people knew about, but this was a true surprise. From the shadows that passed across the doctor’s face, it was a surprise for him too; good or bad, he wasn't sure yet. Hannibal spoke again and this time his husband answered a little faster, leaning on the counter and facing the taller man with a serious expression on his face. All of Hannibal's attention was on the genius, his mask slipping a little as he spoke again, seeming completely oblivious to the two other people in hearing distance. Returning his attention on the younger man, Bruce watched for the emotion he could see on the brunet’s face. Graham face was close-off, completely blank, not showing any emotion, but all his attention was on the older man. It stayed blank until they both heard a word neither of them had been expecting.

Mischa.

One word, one word, that could not be mistaken for any other word. One filled with the history of a single man. One word impossible to forget once heard. One simple word that always changed the perception of people as it was filled with all the humanity of a single human being. A word composing the name of the only human to ever haveknown what a loving man a child could have grown to be, if the single person attached to that name was still breathing to this day.

Will Graham’s face and entire body language changed with that one name. His body tilted toward the older man like he wanted to go to him, to touch him, comfort him. There was compassion in his eyes, his gaze entirely focus on the doctor, his eyes searching. This was the sight of a man having much more stronger feelings than simple friendship. Here was a man with true empathy that actuallyyearned to share the feelings of a man the younger oneknew was a cannibal. His husband didn't make any move to go to the taller man, the genius’ sharp gaze staying firmly on the doctor as he answered, his voice filled with compassion and something else. Just a touch of darkness, not much, not even enough to catch Graham’s attention, but enough for his better half to pay attention to it. Hannibal saw it too, as his gaze turned a little sharper and he nodded. He might not have been able to understand what the exact words spoken were, but he knew the genius had asked if revenge had been taken.

"It is quite rude to have such interesting conversation in front of guest in a language they cannot follow dear." All three men’s attention snapped back to Bruce and he smiled sweetly in return. His old friend’s mask fell back in place at once, his husband’s charming smile came back and Graham’s blank face reappeared. Tony came to him kissing him in apology as his old friend brought wine and more glasses to the table as they would have to wait for the meal to be ready.

"You are quite right old friend, it was extremely rude of me, my apology. Your better half caught me off-guard by having the most delightful Lithuanian accent." He gave a little nod showing the doctor he was forgiven and pulled his husband on his lap. Hannibal took his main seat at the end of the table handing a wine glass to the genius. "I must say your accent is very natural, I do not believe you would have learned it in any school. Where is it from?"

"Just got caught in a charming cabin by a snow storm with a Lithuanian lingerie model, had nothing better to do between sex then to learn her mother tongue." Hishusband’s face had the biggest, proudest grin upon its lips as he looked at him. For his part, he groaned and hid his face in his better half’s neck, nipping it as punishment for being so proud of his past adventure. Young Graham seemed quite shocked at the anecdote, but Hannibal actually chuckled a little, to everyone's surprise.

"Do expend on that one Anthony, a good tale will help pass the time before the food is ready to serve."

"With pleasure! So, that woman..." He exchange a look with his old friend. The doctor returned his sentiment and peeked at a still shocked - but trying to hide it - Graham and smiled. Tomorrow night they would go hunting, tonight they would eat human food and share it with their respective better halfs. Not that the brunet knew he had just been approved by him, but he would soon enough. As soon as their freshly hunted meat was ready to be presented to the ones they would be hunting for.


	5. Union

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ********WARNING********  
> This story is explicit for a reason, this is it. You can easily skip this part, but the next won't be any more soft.
> 
> Weak of heart just stop now.
> 
> You've been warned.

"I must say I quite enjoyed your knight in tainted armor.’’

His old friend peered at him through the white cloud that had escaped his mouth as he sighed, nodding with great fatigue. It had truly been a sight to behold, the young Graham spending the night trying to get his husband away from them. With each pull from Will to get the genius to his side, his better half always seemed to end up closer to Hannibal. To him it had been great fun to simply reclineand enjoy the show all throughout the night. Even his friend had had a little, if not slightly mischievous, smile upon his face, when finally the younger man had given up and sat himself next to the good doctor Lecter. His husband for his part had stopped playing around and had found his usual spot on his lap, for once enjoying the quiet they so dearly missed in their usual life.

‘’I would much appreciate if his armor could turn black in a more expedite manor.’’ Now standing in the woods, next to each other, hidden only by the shadows, he had to concede that his friend was showing much patience. The cold was seeping through their coats, their breath turning white as it escaped them; it truly was a perfect night for a hunt. The road in front of them was deserted, barely used as they waited as they had been for the last hour insilence cut in interval by pondering on their respective lovelifes. Or in Hannibal case, lack of said love life.

‘’You’ve pushed enough, I would recommend letting time erode the last of the white on young Graham’s shiny armor.’’ Blood red eyes searched his and another cloud of a sigh escaped his friend. They both heard the sound of acar coming, but his friend shook his head in negation and they stood frozen as the car passed.

‘’How long was your wait before Anthony was yours?’’ At the question Bruce chuckled softly. It truly was an amusing question.

‘’When I met my husband he was in a relationship with a lovely, if not quite naïve young woman. She soon realized her mistake in thinking she could harness Anthony’s true self. The moment she realized her mistake, I was there to pick up the pieces and made sure to never let him out of my sight again. Dependency became love and I asked him to marry me a year later.’’ Hannibal looked at him for a moment, tilting his head to the side in a silent question. ‘’ I knew he was made for me the moment I laid eyes on him; it was only confirmed when he tried to coax my greener side to the surface without fear of death. That day he also coaxed out of me a part that I never thought was in me, a loving man. I became his friend, his confident, his lover and finally his husband with great patience and care. You’ve already gained the first two with young Graham;the last two should come in time.’’

‘’I had never thought of going as far as the bond of marriage.’’ Without a look to his friend, all his attention on the road, Bruce shook his gloved ringed hand toward the other doctor.

‘’We are creatures of possession and protect our territory with violence and blood. The piece of paper declaring us wed is nothing to me, but the ring shows who Anthony belongs to, as mine shows who I belong to. It is soothing to me to show off what is mine by marking it as so.’’ His old friend seemed skeptical. ‘’Imagine if you will that another suitor was making a move on your Will.’’

The pure anger and intent to murder that came across the blood red eyes was the only answer he needed, so hewent on like he hadn’t been paying attention to his friend’sreaction. ‘’The ring wards of any unwanted attention, while also showing that the wearer is already taken, anyone still pursuing a wedded man is asking for trouble. That I would gladly offer to give.’’

Another car was coming and this time his old friend nodded. Without a sound he kicked the mat full of sharp nails all looking toward the sky. Placing his hands in his pockets, it really was quite cold tonight, he watch with grim satisfaction as the car rolled over the nails. All four tires popped, pierced by the sharp metal and the driver lost control of his car crashing into the woods on the opposite side from where they stood. They waited a beat or two, just to be sure no one else was coming and he pulled the mat away, just in case another car was to come on this remote road. There was quite a lot of smoke coming from the crashed car, but aside from that no movement was seen.

‘’You never had any doubts in your choice?’’ Hannibal had started walking toward the car in even steps and he followed easily, walking a little faster as his legs were shorter. Thinking it over, he shook his head, humming a little song under his breath as he did so.

‘’Have you ever doubted your choice of Will?’’ If the other doctor had then he would have to reconsider his opinion of the young man. They were not creatures to make this kind of decision to unite their life to another lightly, if Hannibal had had any hesitation it would have been Will’s fault. They heard a sound and looked on as a man crawled out of the car.

‘’No, my decision on the subject of Graham was made after our first session together. I saw his potential then and still see it grow as time pass. ‘’ The man was coughing blood now trying to stand supporting himself on the still fuming car.

‘’Then let time play its role.’’ The man saw them, reaching a hand forward asking for silent help. He was in his thirties, handsome looking with blond hair and blue eyes. If he had had a little more muscle he might have reminded him of a certain captain. He even had the strong jaw line and the look of a man used to command authority from others. ‘’Why him?’’

Surely if his old friend had thought he was married to the good captain, he would not have chosen this target for tonight, but the resemblance was truly suspicious. He might have complain a little about the man in his discussion with Hannibal, once he had had enough in his system to do so, but Hannibal simply looked at him as if he had no idea what was going through his mind. His old friend could be quite the bastard when he so wished.

‘’He came upon my radar by being a very appalling drunk at a charity event I attended and stayed on it by beating his wife and kids.’’ His old friend was examining him, trying to see if he had chosen well. The other doctor knew of his past, knew about the relationship he had entertained with his drunken father’s fist. Looking at this blond prey, weak and white, probably from internal bleeding was delightful.

‘’Did you wish to make your art here?’’ Hannibal smiled, his true smile, the one that belonged to the beast inside him. His friend now comforted in the fact that he had indeed chosen well, looked upon their prey in consideration. The man’s eyes had bulged, going from him to the taller man, but it was of little importance. Their victim couldn’t run and was too stupid to yet understand what was happening to him.

‘’I had envisioned a web of intestine, with just the right touch of blood soaked rope to embellish the final result of the piece he’ll create.’’ The man’s primitive functions finallykicked in as he started to huddle deeper into the woods, as they were blocking the road, yelling for help. It was of no consequence as there was no life in this part of the woods, except for the bloody man and the two hunters.

‘’What part did you wish to cook?’’ It was asked in a pleasant voice, soft, completely opposite to the crying of the man still trying to escape them, ever so slowly. Hannibal started walking after their prey considering the question and taking out a fine cord from his pockets. The cord was small but looked strong, the web would be a fabulous piece of art indeed.

‘’I was contemplating a lung based entre, with the right spices and vegetable with an Indian spine as I know your love of their cuisine.’’ The man was getting slower, but their pace stayed the same. ‘’The main course would be acombined creation of mine, heart curry, with some choice piece of meat from either the thigh or stomach, maybe a little of both just for a more varied taste.’’

‘’Sounds ideal, Tony will surely adore it, he has a taste for Indian food since I started cooking for him. Anything else?’’ The other doctor considered for a moment.

‘’A soup was an option, but I cannot make my mind as to use the eyes, as they are such a beautiful color and would look astonishing in a kimchi base soup. But the tongue is such a soft muscle to cook with and melt in the mouth once well cooked. I am truly torn.’’

The man fell to his knee in a clearing that would do beautifully for the web sobbing as he heard them talk. He still had his hands in his pockets, his old friend next to him looking around with a pleased tiny smile on his lips and turned his piercing red gaze toward him, waiting for his own input for the menu.

‘’I am partial to tongue, but more importantly, is the young Graham to be invited?’’

‘’Of course, he did so enjoy Anthony’s company during our last meal.’’ Humming a soft song as he watched the man face the realization that his death was imminent, he would suffer for much longer, but letting him believe in a quick death was much more amusing to him.

‘’I would vote for the soup then, it is only natural that the young Will should only get the best and most exquisite after all.’’ Hannibal smiled, tilting his head to concede the victory to him and took out a scalpel, presenting it.

‘’Guest first.’’ He smiled taking out from his pocket his own favorite scalpel, only slightly longer then regulation allowed and walked slowly toward the still sobbing, begging man.

‘’I prefer to use mine if you’ll allow it.’’

"Of course I don't mind, it’s perfectly..." His old friend looked at the blade in his hand and actually scoffed in amusement. "Is that the scalpel our old residency teacher gave to you when we left school?"

Bruce, ignoring the begging man on the ground nowsputtering nonsense about being the father of two children. "It seemed fitting and I can, according to my husband, be a sentimental man."

"It is quite a beautiful blade, I do believe mine is tucked somewhere back at the house." Taking the man’s left wrist in his hand, he pulled against the prey trying to regain the use of his hand and gave the whimpering man a hard look.

"Is he a punching man or a kicking man?" The sound the prey made was one of pure fear as his whole body went limp defeat visible all across his face.

"More punching then kicking, although I do believe he is also quite partial to kicking." Humming unhappily a much happier song, Bruce plunged the blade in the soft meat of the wrist exposing the tendons. The cry of pain that escaped the man was such a delight that he hummed a little more happily. Hannibal moved to keep the prey from moving away, as he cut a little deeper and caught the interest in his old friend’s eyes.

"You always did have such a marvelous technique with the blade. Our teacher always praised your grace and precision...over mine." He kept on going farther down the arm pulling away the skin. The prey just kept on screaming, in between breath the conversation between the two doctors keep on going in a soft even tone.

"Jealous? If my blade work was praised, your work with the needle has never been matched by any other since you left school." The skin off the arm fell to the ground. The muscle, blood vessel and tendon now perfectly visible had both hunters sighing in delight. "It has been a long time since I had enough time to truly show my craft."

"Not many opportunity in the big city?" Huffing, Bruce shook his head.

"People go missing in the big city without anyone ever noticing, but time isn't always given to enjoy my work." Looking around as the sound of soft sobbing filled the once quiet wood, he smiled softly loving the sound he had missed so much; there really was something to be said about the beauty of nature.

He was starting on the second arm, the prey now white and growing more quiet with each piercing of his skin by the doctor’s blade. Hannibal was weaving his small rope through the exposed flesh of the prey’s arm in delightful pattern. They kept on working in perfect synch, keeping a light conversation going as the work progressed. Soon enough the prey was dead, the piece needed for the meal collected and the corpse was placed into the most solid branch they had found.

The final result truly was a piece of art. With his oldfriend’s rope weaved into the body, twisting it into a peaceful position, floating in the air held by blood tainted rope and intestine. The web constructed by the other doctor was, if he wasn't mistaken, the web of a Koreanspecies that ate its victims head first. When he made the remark out loud, Hannibal only smiled in pleasure packing his precious meat in the cooler they had brought for such collection. With one last look, making sure everything was in order, they started walking back toward the taller man’s car, hidden farther away.

"Would you mind my using your husband as my sous-chef again?"


	6. Transformation

This is his design.

He knew it from the moment he had seen the body from far away. It was a true piece of art and if he was completely honest with himself, which he had started to be more and more as his walls fell, it was breathtakingly beautiful. From far away the body truly looked like a spider resting in the middle of its web, its limbs gently rocked by the wind that played in the tranquil woods. In the morning mist the spider look alike was all soft shadows and the web cast of light and dark shades on the ground as the sun lazily came out to envelop a heavenly light on the whole portray. Where before he would have question his appreciation for the display of the kill, the way it seemed to honor and dishonor its victim in one truly impressive display of artistic delight. He now could truly appreciate all the effort that had been place into the piece of art the body had been turned into. 

If he had not been worried about the reaction of the man standing next to him, he would have taken out his phone and taken a picture of the display, if only to have a token to remember it by. But his mind would have to remember every little details, so he could revisit it in the halls of his mind where he had started to store all the Cheasapeak ripper kills. It had started as a simple way to try and understand the killer's mind, but as time passed and he realized just who the killer was the display had changed. From simple memory, the kills had been place into casings, as to protect them and in his moment to daze he would roam thought the hall like an art lover walking through a museum filled with masterpieces. He could already feel his mind making place for this new artwork that would go quite nicely right next to the flower man that had been found in a parking lot weeks ago.

"It's him isn't it." It really wasn't a question, so he simply hummed softly still walking toward the body. Jack didn't want to heat his answer, didn't need to. They both soon stood before the body and he was in awe. He could feel the disdain and displeasure coming from the man next to him, but all he could feel was appreciation and delight. As usual the work was sublime, precise, truly the work of an artist.

The skin of the arms and legs had been pulled away revealing pink and red muscle. The flesh had been stretched away from the body and bent with the help of small metal wires to give the illusion that the man had eight appendages instead of four. From afar it had been a truly impressive illusion, from up close it was masterful. The web in itself was probably the base of an actual spider web, but the species wasn't one he knew. The man’s genitals had been removed and his head pulled back being held by his scalp sown into the web. Upon closer inspection he soon saw that the man had been relieved of his eyes, lungs, heart and some of the meat from his thigh. He could only imagine what meal the good doctor would make of these parts.

He wasn't completely surprise when the man’s name and background was brought to Jack. The good doctor after all never went after good people, only the rude ever graced his table. The detective was clearly unpleased with the information and even more so when as usual upon first inspection of the body nothing was found to tie the body to the doctor. Crawford turned to him waving his hand around asking him silently to do his thing even though they both knew who was behind this kill. Well he knew, Jack only had doubts. 

Everyone stepped back giving him space, but for once he didn't close his eyes, didn't let the pendulum swing to erase everything. He didn't need to see what had happen, he didn't need to let the crime scene wash over him. The dark presence that had became Hannibal in his mind, the stag was already at his side looking over his scene and smiling approvingly. But there was something else, something that wasn't usually there that had him look more closely. There was another presence, the killer hadn't been alone... that was a surprise. Instead of calling forth the pendulum, he came closer to the body and really peered at it in all its details. 

There. 

It was small, almost unnoticeable, but it was there. The knife work wasn't the same. It was just a little more precise, just a little more gliding. There was another presence, someone had hunted with the good doctor. He was filled with an emotion, an emotion he didn't recognize at once and had him reeling to find its name. It was all consuming, ravaging his mind, until he felt cold all over and wanted to... kill.

Jealousy. 

His mind became blank, a rare occurrence in his case. How could he be jealous? He knew his mind, he could answer this one honestly. He wanted to be the one hunting at the doctor’s side, had wanted to do so for a long time now, but only now realized just how much. It was there, in his mind, had been there from the moment he had stopped to see the killer’s work as kills and had started to see them for pieces of art. Had been there the moment he had realize who the Cheasapeak Ripper was and still hadn't delivered him to Jack on a silver platter. It had been there because he had been inside this killer’s mind and had found peace, it had been there from the moment he had felt protective of the doctor’s secret and had turned possessive of his knowledge. 

So to feel another presence, that someone had been witness to such art, where he was still denied this pleasure was... unacceptable. It was as if walls were crumbling inside his mind, as if he was finally seeing the path he had to follow. It felt liberating, like a weight had been pulled from his shoulder. He felt as if his skin was finally correctly fitted to his body, like his mind had found a focus, in all the fog that had been filling it for so many years. In this new calm he finally found what he had been looking for and smiled softly.

Green, soft green presence right there at the edge of his vision. He knew this presence had felt it once very recently. Another piece of the puzzle finally falling into place as he turned around and away from the body. He didn't know what his face was showing as he marched toward the detective, but Jack seemed uncomfortable. The larger man seemed less threatening to him now, less big, he was simply flesh and blood, nothing to intimidate him. 

"So?" He was... smiling as he shook his head.

"It’s not him." At the shock on the larger man face, he could only smile more. It was Hannibal and it wasn't. In some way he was telling the truth and in another he was being protective. He had always been protective of the doctor without ever really noticing it, but now that he knew what he was doing, he could actually do it with purpose. Lead Jack into a wild goose chase and explore what he really wished to do next. "There were two killer here. One of them filled with a calm rage, the other more focus. It was probably an act of revenge maybe against an act the man perpetrated in the past."

Like being a rude and crude man that deserved everything that had happen to him. But he keep going pilling on, giving false information with just enough of a touch of truth that Jack would probably find an enemy the man did have and s possible suspect that fitted his vague description. He glance once more at the body imprinting the last of the details he could for his mind’s display and walked out of the woods and toward his car. 

His skin felt too tight, his head too heavy, he needed a change. Catching his reflection in a car window he stopped and slowly examine himself. He had been a reflection of the state of his mind, had been the perfection representation of confusion. His hair in disarray, his clothes too big for him, his glasses hiding half of his face. It just didn't fit with the calmness that seemed to have settled upon him. He had been running, had been confused, had been lost really. His mind confused. He still had been confused after meeting Hannibal's friends. Doctor Banner was a dark presence something he had been expecting to find in the good doctor’s entourage, but not Tony. Tony the blank slate, the void that seemed to pull away the darkness, the accepting presence in the middle of the blackness. Now he could see what he needed, what he had been needing for a while now.

He was still looking at his reflection, his mind slowly working out all the dilemma he still had when his phone rang. Looking at the screen his entire body relaxed as if on reflex at the name it shown to him and answered in a much softer tone than he was used to.

"Good morning Doctor Lector." He could hear soft music in the background and if he really paid attention could hear the familiar voice of Tony singing along softly. He could almost see it in his mind. Hannibal standing in his kitchen probably with his first cup of coffee, Tony probably sitting on the counter singing along to the Italian singer as he ate the breakfast made by the good doctor, his husband probably not too far away. It was a piece of serenity, something he had long longed for and never thought could be found in a killer’s den. The doctor soft voice brought him back to the present.

"Good morning to you Will." He could hear true pleasure in the other man’s voice and only just caught the sigh of pleasure that almost escaped him. "I was wondering if you were available for diner this afternoon?"

Normally he would have felt guilt, maybe even a touch of disgust knowing he was invited to savor the good doctor fresh kill. Now... now he felt honor, touched that he was allowed to share the spoils of the hunt. Catching his reflection his a window, he saw the small please smile that was now on his face and realize it was the first time he had ever seen this expression on his face. Caught in the moment he completely missed the doctor soft inquiry about his well-being and jumped back in surprise. 

"It would be my pleasure doctor."

"Hannibal please Will." The doctor had never once asked him to call him by his first name. There was a pause, a moment where the decision was all his to change, how they had perceived each other for so long. It was his turn to decide what he wished to do. He could ignore the request, could keep the formality, could just go back to his shell or...

"It would be my pleasure, Hannibal." There was a brief moment of silence, very short, but long enough that he knew he had surprise the older man. 

"To the pleasure of seeing you soon then, Will." Before he could answer, the doctor had hung up not liking useless chatter. He looked at his phone still in his hand, looked at his reflection once more and entered his car. 

His decision had been made, change was needed.


	7. Conclusion

As the sound of the doorbell rang through the house and into the kitchen, his old friend looked to him with a slight frown. The best explanation for the disturbance was that their guest of honor had arrived early. The worst was that someone had found evidence of their little hunting trip and had come to collect them. The second being the less likely, they both exchange an amused smile as the other doctor’s changed the placement of one of his knife, absentmindedly none the less. His dear husband was busy cutting vegetables completely focused on his task as he hummed happily along with the classical music his old friend favored. Since he was the only one not busy with the cooking, he had happily dragged a chair into the kitchen and had been reading while they cooked, he was the one to walk down the corridor and toward the door as the bell was heard once more. 

What lay on the other side was a surprise, a very pleasant one. The young Graham stood before him, but he was no more the young jittery man he had first meet. This man had a fresh haircut, his locks pulled away from his face. His clothes fitted him much better, revealing his true shape instead of swallowing him whole into tacky faded colored fabrics. Even the large glasses that had hidden his gaze were gone and bright, still slightly doubtful eyes, looked straight into his unflinching. This was the man Hannibal saw when he looked at the young Graham, this was the man he had himself glimpse when he had first meet the younger man. This would make this meal quite interesting indeed. Stepping away he gracefully took the taller man’s coat and scarf. He wouldn't say the younger man was wearing a suit, but his clothes looked comfortable, yet fashionable, his better half was sure to appreciate this kind of fashion choice.

"I'm afraid our chef is still in the process of adding the finishing touches to our meal, if you'll follow me, I’m sure he won't mind our presence in his domain."

"The hunt was good then?" He looked at the taller man behind his shoulder, studying him. There was no judgment there, no disdain. The question had been deliberate and openly vague. So turning to face the young Graham they studied each other.

"Very good indeed, if not quite loud." He did notice the little crinkle at the corner of the other man eyes, small but there, a repress smile that could still be seen if one was paying attention. 

"And here I thought spiders couldn't emit a sound." Oh this one was truly delightful. They both watched each other in silence. There was a calm to the man before him that was refreshing. It was new, fragile but it seemed to have done wonders to the younger man to have finally settled his mind on what he truly wanted. He had seen it once before, on his husband’s face when he had accepted all that was his other half. It was like watching the final touches of a masterpiece being placed as the whole unit came together with just the perfect balance of perfection and imperfection. 

"You would have to ask Hannibal on that one, I am not an expert of the subject." 

"I believe I will." Slowly they nodded to each other. There was an understanding between them now. So walking next to each other, they resume their path toward the kitchen. It was a delight to see surprise on his old friend’s face. At the sight of the young Graham dressed properly and fitted in his own skin, the other doctor froze for a moment. It was only a moment, but to a man like Hannibal it was very telling. A fraction of his mouth moved into a tiny gaping form before closing rapidly and his eyes widen ever so slightly in shock. If he saw it then he knew that the empath had too and caught a small smug smile on the younger man’s face. Sensing the change in the room, his husband turned around and said out loud what the micro expression on the good doctor face had already yelled quite clearly to everyone who had seen them.

"Damn you clean up nice!" He chuckled softly at his old friend’s slight wince. His better half came to stand next to the younger man, spin on himself, to the apparent delight of the other doctor, whistling softly in approval. "Real nice!"

"Tony your embarrassing our guest." His husband looked at him smiling with mischief knowing very well what he had been doing. Leaning over the genius, he kissed his husband softly. Looking over at his old friend who was still silently taking it all in and probably calculating his next move, he smiled softly and pulled the younger man toward the dining room. "Let’s leave our chef to their task and enjoy a glass of wine while we wait for the main course."

Ripping his gaze away from the other doctor, the empath had been very inept on not missing any of the older man’s micro expressions, he followed silently. He did caught his husband saying something in Lithuanian to the older man who nodded looking pensive.

Once in the dining room he served them both a glass of red wine and sat down in the exact same chair he had been sitting in the first night he had meet the young man. Following his lead, the young Graham mimicked his lead and sat himself as he had been that first night. Silently sipping their wine they studied each other, the younger man clearly having something on his mind he didn't know how to formulate. 

"I... you've hunted before with Doctor Lector haven't you?" He observed the man sitting across from him in silence bewilder and pleased to see some signs of jealousy there. He had not been expecting it, since his own lover wasn't one to participate in his activities, but this man seemed to see the killing as very intimate. His presence with his old friend on a hunting trip made the young man angry and possessive. So young, so adorable, so so fresh.

"Yes indeed I did." Just as the young Graham was opening his mouth, he held out his hand stopping his next word. Something needed to be made clear. "Always as equals and never as companions."

The frown on the younger man’s face was getting to epic proportion as his confusion was quite clear. "I don't understand the difference."

"And there lays your problem." He looked over the younger man head to see his old friend paying much more attention to the conversation at hand then to his cooking. Not wanting to alarmed the young Graham that they were being spied on, as even his husband had come closer quite curious as to what was happening, he reported his attention to their guest. "There is very little difference between me and Hannibal. They are there, but very few indeed. In that regard we could never seek comfort as a partnership. We are equals as we understand how the other thinks and works, a friendship is as far as this situation allows us to peruse."

He caught the smile on his husband face as the genius turned back to his cooking. His old friend on the other hand was leaning on the counter looking at him with a completely blank face. The other doctor was waiting seeing if the younger man would understand exactly what he was telling him. The young Graham was quiet still frowning but he seemed to be making his way toward understanding the situation he had just walk into. There was a choice to be made here. 

"You and Tony... does he know?" The younger man was tense, he knew the genius was close enough to hear, but didn't seemed to dare look back wanting the answer to his question more than anything. 

"I would never had started a relationship with him, if he hadn't been aware of every aspect of my personality." His old friend’s gaze went to the smaller man busy with cutting potato, the other doctor had been wondering at that too apparently. 

"But he's not..."

"Like me? No, he definitely isn't." Thinking his next words carefully, he leaned forward his voice getting more softer and his gaze turning hard and cold. "He's the balance for what I am, he shared my darkness and accept it that is all I'll ever ask of him. Pushing for him to share my passion would be unfair on my part."

The young Graham eyes widen slightly and something seemed to settle in him. Clearly that had still been a concern. He had thought that by letting himself accept his feeling for the other doctor he would have to turn himself into a much darker form of himself he didn't seem ready or willing to embrace. But that wasn't what this was about and the younger man needed to understand this right away. 

"I can find an equal anywhere, an accepting partner is much harder to find." He watch in silence as the younger man leaned back thinking. Deciding that was enough information for the younger man to make is own decision, he moved away and toward his better half. 

The genius looked at him softly leaning against him, molding his body perfectly to his. Letting his mind go to this perfect blankness of peace that came to him every time he had this perfect man in his arms, everything else fell to the background. His hand moved to cover his lover's and together as one they cut the rest to the vegetables needed. It was a dance they both knew very well, after years together. It was calming and easy, as the silence stretched around them. Once he was done his husband looked over his shoulder to ask the other doctor what to do next. His better half chuckled and turned around in his arms looking at him like he had done something really good. 

"What my love?" The genius tilted his chin and he looked over his shoulder as well. 

His old friend had resumed his cooking, moving with ease, but something was making him more relaxed. The something being the young Graham leaning on the counter next to him his finger hooked in one of the belt straps on the taller pants silently connecting them as the younger man looked on as Hannibal prepared his meat. It was a tableau of silent acceptance. All of the young Graham was on the taller man, completely oblivious to his surroundings. The other doctor for his part would sometime move his arm to the side brushing against the younger man silently thanking him for his acceptance. They didn't need words, the empath seeing all the little movement for what they were and the doctor enjoying the silent attention.

He was brought back from his observing by his husband as the smaller man place his hand in his and pulled him out of the kitchen. Leaving the two behind to decide on the parameter of their future partnership, he followed understanding their need to be alone with each other. His better half looked at him once they had entered the living room and looked at him with a pleased smile on his face.

"You did good." He chuckled softly feigning not to understand.

"I have no idea what you mean love." His husband hummed softly pulling him closer by circling his neck with his arms. In the silence they could hear the music drifting from the kitchen and started to sway against each other. "Will you be sad to leave tomorrow?"

"Will you?" Kissing the neck of his better half, he hummed softly in response.

"I'm sure we'll be invited back soon enough." His husband chuckled softly and when he pulled back slightly silently asking what had made his lover laugh, the genius smile in mischief.

"For a wedding maybe?" He smiled in equal mischief and they kept on swaying to the music feeling at peace. For a wedding maybe indeed.


End file.
